Enabling Decimal Bidding: How to Use Cent Increments in BidWrangler
Decimal bidding lets your BidWrangler platform accept bid increments smaller than one dollar, such as $0.25 or $0.10. Once decimal bidding is enabled for your bidding platform, you can enter decimal values in your Timed and Live Bid Schedules and in the Custom Increment field on individual items, and the platform will advance bidding in those cent increments. If you are not sure whether decimal bidding is enabled for your platform, contact helpdesk@bidwrangler.com and we can confirm or enable it for you.
When Cent Increments Make Sense for Your Auction
Decimal bidding is built for lots where a $1 jump is too large. The most common case is per-unit bidding on volume lots: if a lot contains 1,000 units and bids are placed per unit, a $1 increment moves the lot total by $1,000 at a time, while a $0.10 increment keeps bidding competitive. It also fits low-value items, salvage sales, and any auction where you want bidders to move in small steps.
Formatting Rules That Make Decimal Increments Save Correctly
These rules come up in real support cases, and each one can stop an increment schedule from saving:
The bid increment itself can be a decimal, for example 0.25 or 0.1.
The "up to" amount in a bidding increment row must be a whole number. For example, an increment of 0.25 with an "up to" of 1 will save, but an "up to" of 0.5 will not.
Include the leading zero. Enter 0.25, not .25.
Do not include a $ sign, commas, or other symbols in the field. Remove them and save again if a value is rejected.
Starting bids and reserve prices are subject to a $1.00 minimum, even when bid increments are set in cents. If your sale needs to open below $1, contact helpdesk@bidwrangler.com so we can look at the auction with you.
Where to Set Decimal Increments
Bid increments cascade from company level to auction level to item level, and the most specific setting wins.
For company defaults, navigate to the BidWrangler admin portal, open Company Settings, and adjust the Timed Bid Schedule or Live Bid Schedule under Bidding Configuration.
To override the default for one auction, edit that auction and adjust its Bidding Configuration.
To override the auction for a single lot, edit the item and set its custom increment.
To set custom cent increments on many lots at once, use the Items import with a Lot ID column and a Custom Increment column. Decimal values work here too: entering 0.1 in the Custom Increment column applies a $0.10 increment to that lot. This was verified with a successful test import.
Frequently Asked Questions About Decimal Bidding
Can I set a bid increment of $0.10 or $0.25 in BidWrangler?
Yes. With decimal bidding enabled on your platform, bid increments below one dollar are supported in the company, auction, and item level bid schedules, and in the Custom Increment column of an items import. Enter the value as a plain decimal such as 0.10, with no dollar sign.
Why won't my increment schedule save when I use decimals?
The most common cause is the "up to" amount. The increment itself can be a decimal, but the "up to" value on each row must be a whole number, so pair an increment of 0.25 with an "up to" of 1 rather than 0.5. Also check that the value has a leading zero and contains no dollar signs or commas.
Can I start bidding at less than $1.00?
No. Starting bids and reserve prices have a $1.00 minimum, even though the increments between bids can be set in cents.
Can I apply cent increments to hundreds of lots at once?
Yes. Use the Items import with a Lot ID column and a Custom Increment column, and enter the decimal increment for each lot you want to override. This is the same bulk method used for whole-dollar custom increments, described in the article on setting a custom bidding increment for a range of lots.
Do decimal increments change how max bids work?
No. Max bids continue to bid on the bidder's behalf at your specified increments, whatever those increments are. The increment schedule controls the step size; it does not change the max bid mechanics.
Related Articles
How Do I Set a Custom Bidding Increment for a Range of Lots?
Item Imports: Import an Auction Catalog in Bulk with a CSV File
Not sure whether decimal bidding is enabled for your platform? Email helpdesk@bidwrangler.com and we will check for you.